Motivation | Career changer
FROM BARTENDER TO ACCOUNTANT
How I was headhunted by Savills
Skills and experience from previous jobs can be hugely attractive to a new employer, as former pub worker Ben Mortiboy discovered
Words Marianne Curphey
If you had asked Ben Mortiboy four years ago if he could picture himself as an accountant working for one of the UK’s biggest real estate services companies, he would have laughed. Having spent 12 years in the bar trade, he didn’t think he fitted into the traditional accountancy image. But it was his unique skills and retail experience that won him a coveted apprenticeship with Savills.
Building skills in a people business
Mortiboy went from collecting glasses in a pub to managing a successful late-night rock music bar. He had planned to become a scriptwriter and was studying English language at Aston University in Birmingham when his fourth-year work experience placement fell through.
“I had started with a student job in the pub at 18, progressing from glass collector to bartender to DJ,” he recalls. “When I was stuck and without a place to work in the final year of my course, the bar owner offered me a role as manager. I had to make a choice between continuing with university and managing the bar. Since it was open until 6am, there was no way I could do both.”
He found that his great communication skills and passion for rock music made him the ideal manager.
“I loved the job and got on really well with the customers,” he says. “It was a rock music bar in Birmingham and I've been into rock music all my life, so it wasn’t just about the bar trade but the music and social aspect of the role. I ended up working there for 12 years.”
The business went from strength to strength but the hours were very long, with shifts sometimes lasting 16 hours.
“When I got to about 30, I realised that the hours were getting unmanageable,” Mortiboy says. “I could easily work 80 hours in a week and my health started to suffer. I started to get micro blackouts, and the doctor said I couldn’t carry on working like that.
“I made the very difficult decision to resign and look for a career with a better work-life balance, but I had no idea what I was going to do.”
“I’ve always said it doesn’t matter what job you go into in life, everyone should do six months in the bar trade”
TOP TIPS
Ben’s study tips for AAT students
1
Work at your own pace
Be realistic and don’t try to do more than you are capable of.
2
Be aware of burnout
Make sure you structure work and study so you have time off to spend time away from your desk.
3
Take a steady approach and try not to rush things
It takes time to assimilate and recall lots of technical information.
4
Be proud of yourself
This is a difficult course, so by starting it you have made a positive step forward and already done more than the person that hasn’t enrolled.
5
Believe in yourself
Don’t be afraid to have that drive to push ahead with your qualifications.
6
Celebrate your skills
Be realistic and don’t try to do more than you are capable of.
Friendly inspiration
A friend, who was herself a successful AAT qualified accountant, suggested he look into studying AAT.
“She gave me that initial push,” Mortiboy says. “She said I was good with numbers and good with people. I had always thought of myself as good with words because I had wanted to be a writer.”
Nevertheless, he started on a self-funded AAT Level 2 course at Sutton Coldfield College (now Birmingham Metropolitan College) with training provider, Train Together.
“I was interviewed by my tutor, Eve Jones. I had only wanted to do the bookkeeping qualification, but she persuaded me to do the full year of AAT Level 2,” he says.
“Anyone who has met Eve knows she is very persuasive. From then on, I threw myself into study. Fortunately, having a tutor like Eve is a blessing because she's so passionate about what she does. She lives and breathes accounting.”
Jones was so impressed by Mortiboy’s enthusiasm and work ethic that she nominated him for the Student of the Year category in the AAT Impact Awards. A couple of weeks later, he was approached by Savills and offered an apprenticeship.
“I was doing a part-time bartending gig, working 15 hours a week to pay my way through my studies,” he says. “To be told I could study AAT Level 3 and be paid to work at an incredible global company was such an exciting opportunity.”
Utilising transferable skills
Savills was interested in his wealth of transferable skills: being able to deal with people, understanding business and systems, being prepared to work hard, and having great communication and interpersonal skills.
“In the initial interview, the first question they asked was, ‘Why should we give you the job?’ I explained I’ve got more stamina than most people because I come from a background of hard work and long hours,” Mortiboy says.
“I’m very grateful for my previous career. I’ve always said it doesn’t matter what job you go into in life, everyone should do six months in the bar trade. In those six months, you will learn everything about life: communication, dealing with stress, managing multiple demands at a time. It is a real all-round job.”
Mortiboy moved back in with his parents to give him the time and space to study. He is hoping to finish AAT Level 3 within 12 months.
“Savills have been absolutely fantastic to work for,” he says. “When I joined, I asked if there was room for progression and they said you can pretty much make this job what you want it to be. They are so supportive and helpful.
“I’ll soon be moving from accounts payable to client accounting, so it’s nice to be given that recognition for my hard work so far and for the value of my AAT qualification.”
SUMMARY
1
Think what transferable skills you already have and how they might be useful to an employer.
2
Don’t let your background stop you from applying to study AAT. Students and people who make career changes come from all walks of life.
3
Have your end goal in mind. It will help you to persevere with your studies.
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FROM BARTENDER TO ACCOUNTANT
How I was headhunted by Savills
Skills and experience from previous jobs can be hugely attractive to a new employer, as former pub worker Ben Mortiboy discovered.
Words Marianne Curphey
TOP TIPS
Ben’s study tips for AAT students
1
Work at your own pace
Be realistic and don’t try to do more than you are capable of.
2
Be aware of burnout
Make sure you structure work and study so you have time off to spend time away from your desk.
3
Take a steady approach and try not to rush things
It takes time to assimilate and recall lots of technical information.
4
Be proud of yourself
This is a difficult course, so by starting it you have made a positive step forward and already done more than the person that hasn’t enrolled.
5
Believe in yourself
Don’t be afraid to have that drive to push ahead with your qualifications.
6
Celebrate your skills
Be realistic and don’t try to do more than you are capable of.